Dystopia Rising is a “contact safe” LARP game, set in the post-apocalyptic world, roughly 4 to 5 generations in the future. “Contact safe” means that the game uses foam implements and other artificial representations of things to lightly tap other players to execute a mechanic, avoiding any serious injury or unwanted physical contact.

Since Dystopia Rising uses fake violence, gore, emotionally stressful situations and mature themes, players must be 17 and older with personal waivers signed by all members over the age of 18, and parental waivers for anyone under 18 years of age.

Getting Started

You will first need to read the Survivor's Guide, which is the rulebook for the game, and create a character by printing and filling out a Character Sheet, which you will bring to your first game. Before choosing a Strain, please be aware that some strains are not readily available, and there are guidelines to follow in order to choose a Strain for this chapter here.

Next, you can submit your character to us for review. This step is optional if you choose one of the Common Strains, which doesn't require a background until your third game. The Uncommon and Restricted Strains require approval before play. Please submit your character at least one week in advance of the game you plan on attending, as the Directors and Background Marshal need time to read and approve your submission.

What you need to play

If you are a combatant, Weapons. See the Weapon Creation Guidelines for information on how to build or acquire weapons that will be appropriate and effective in our game.

General camping supplies, such as a tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc.

What to bring to your first larp

What to Wear

When shopping for the apocalypse, remember one major thing: You are going to destroy whatever it is you're wearing. You're going to be in a place with fake blood and real mud, running around and fighting off zombies, raiders and other horrors of the wasteland. Keep that in mind when shopping for clothes.

Good Will, Salvation Army, or anywhere to get cheap and worn down clothing is your best bet when finding clothing to wear. These places are roulette, so check back every so often to see new things that come through if you can't find anything you wanted the first time through. If you don't want to buy anything second hand, make sure to get something you aren't going to be attached to, because it's going to get dirty and you're going to be wearing it a lot, so make sure it also fits comfortably.

Next thing to do is distress the clothing to look as though it survived the apocalypse. Rip a few holes in it and stitch some of them up, or heck, just undo and redo all the stitching by hand if you want a genuine dystopian look to it! Add coffee, tea, or fake blood stains. Get some paint on it, rub it in the dirt, even sand blast it if you want to! You want to make sure your clothing looks the worst so you can look your best.

When you put on your clothing, you should be able to look at yourself and see the image you think of when you picture your character. If you feel like it's not enough, just add things as you go. Layers, accessories picked up over time, and character costume details grow with your character. Maybe you find a hat you think your character would like or a different shirt (or piece of shirt) that would look good. The more you add, the more your character evolves.

Starter Equipment

We will provide a starter weapon card for every weapon skill you have at your first event. If you do not yet have a weapon, we can loan you one temporarily. We will also provide a starter armor card for players who wear armor, which must be self-supplied as we don't loan it. Starter armor cards are limited, with a rating between 1 and 30 points of armor, rated on coverage, esthetics, and materials. This means you'll be able to get right into the action of surviving and fighting in the wastes (Details on starter equipment available here).